Give a future for 950 Indian kids living with HIV

Summary

Our HIV-positive Women's Association prevents children being born with HIV and provides essential care for the generation who were not so lucky. Many, now adolescent, are traumatised by loss of one or both parents to HIV/AIDS and by the knowledge that they carry a life-threatening virus. They need counselling and support to cope with the medical, social and psychological impact of HIV combined with all the usual teenage concerns. We support 950 vulnerable children living with HIV in south India.

Challenge

80% of children living with HIV are now adolescents. The Indian Government gives HIV medicines at busy clinics with inadequate counselling service. Guardians are reluctant to talk about their child's HIV status and its implications, leading to misinformation and confusion. These children suffer neglect, discrimination, and psychological stress, leading to low self-esteem, depression, school refusal, irregular treatment, suicidal thoughts and inappropriate decisions regarding sex and marriage.

Solution

Our volunteers assist government services by identifying and assisting the most vulnerable children and provide emergency support in crisis. We help guardians to counsel their wards on HIV facts, regular tablet taking and a healthy lifestyle. We resolve individual problems - medical or psychological - and we address discrimination, family conflict, and return to education. We prepare older adolescents for adult life and discuss puberty, sexuality, relationships, safer sex and marriage plans.

Long-Term Impact

We will guide this last generation of children living with HIV to increase their chances of growing up normally to have a long and productive adult life, married and with healthy children. We will give priority to the adolescent girls and young women since they have more complex needs. This generation will become role models, will not infect others and will be able to advise their peers on life with HIV and HIV prevention. In short, the project contributes to an HIV and Aids free future.

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